Vegas Golden Knights: Three Keys to beating Canucks in Game 3
There are three key ingredients the Vegas Golden Knights will need to win in Game 3.
Hockey is back after a short pause to stand in solitary with the rest of the sporting world in the fight against social injustice, and it is a big night for the Vegas Golden Knights.
They head into Game 3 against the Vancouver Canucks with the series tied at 1-1 after the Canucks knocked off a 5-2 win in Game 2.
This contest should have been played on Thursday but the extra rest should have done both teams the world of good.
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However, as a result of the rescheduling, the Golden Knights will now play a back-to-back this weekend with Game 4 on Sunday.
Therefore, Vegas must decide how they will navigate their two-headed goalie monster over these two games.
Also, while they dominated Game 1 the Golden Knights saw how dangerous the Canucks can be in Game 2.
Vancouver is loaded with young talent and a boatload of skill and speed, and the likes of Quinn Hughes, Bo Horvat and Elias Pettersson are legitimate game-changers.
So Game 3 is set up nicely and it is a huge one for both teams with the opportunity there to really seize control of this series this weekend.
It all starts tonight and we put together the Three Keys the Golden Knights will need in order to beat the Vancouver Canucks, win Game 3 and go 2-1 up in the series…
Key 1. Set the tone early
Both the Golden Knights and the Vancouver Canucks should be well-rested after having an extra few days off.
It is a good job given that they will now have to navigate a back-to-back this weekend with Game 4 on Sunday.
And, as a result, the Golden Knights will need to start as they mean to go on in Game 3.
They need to be ready to set the tone from the first drop of the puck tonight, be ready to take the game to the Canucks and be ready to dominate.
Vegas got away from their heavy style of hockey in Game 2 and they will need to get back to it in Game 3.
Laying the body on early, getting pucks on net and battling hard in the corners from the get-go will help the Golden Knights to establish their game while stifling Vancouver.
If the Knights can do that and assert themselves on the game early then that should help them to land the first blow of the night and take control from there.
They can’t afford a repeat of Game 2 where the Canucks scored first and then set about frustrating Vegas, including blocking an incredible 40 shots.
By playing their heavy game and getting after the Canucks early, the Golden Knights should force open the shooting lanes and the rest should follow.
Start slow and allow Vancouver to build on their confidence from Game 2, though, and it could be a long night.
2. Put the shackles on Pettersson
How do you go about stopping Elias Pettersson?
It is a good question and one the Golden Knights will need to try and solve if they are to avoid another disappointing early exit in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
But that’s the rub here.
There probably is no way to completely put the shackles on Pettersson.
Pettersson is an absolute stud and he’s showing all the signs that he’s ready to morph into a genuine elite forward in the National Hockey League.
He’s quick, incredibly skilled, very intelligent and able to withstand teams trying to bully him off the puck.
He’s just a special player and the resume is there so far this postseason.
In 12 games Pettersson leads the Canucks in Stanley Cup Playoffs points with 16 (5 G, 11 A), and he also leads the team in power play points (9).
Then there’s the way Pettersson can pull a moment of magic out of the air.
Go back to the second period in Game 2 when Pettersson had the calmness and the presence to take a quick pass in front, shift to his forehand and beat Robin Lehner with a delicious deke.
It was a highlight-reel play and, while you can’t stop superstars, if the Golden Knights can find a way of slowing down Elias Pettersson in Game 3 then that could be enough to give them a 3-1 series lead.
Key 3. Tighten up
Robin Lehner wasn’t unable to steal Game 2 but he was also left to hang out to dry by his defense.
They were all over the place.
Defensive breakdowns have been a problem throughout the postseason and it could be the one fatal flaw that prevents the Golden Knights from lifting the Stanley Cup this year.
Especially if they come up against an offensive juggernaut in the ilk of the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Stanley Cup Final.
But it could also be a major problem in this series and it certainly was in Game 2, with the Canucks feasting on a lethal combination of turnovers and sloppy play in the defensive zone.
Just look at some of the goals the Golden Knights allowed.
Alec Martinez followed the puck rather than the play and left Tyler Toffoli all on his own, leading to the Canucks getting on the board early.
Bo Horvat then scored on the power play after a play was made from behind the net, and Horvat’s second goal of the game came after a complete switch off from the Golden Knights in their own zone.
Whether you are the superior team or not, you can’t play sloppy defense and expect to come out on top in a best-of-seven series.
That’s especially the case when you are coming up against a Vancouver team loaded with firepower and players who can really impact a game.
As a result, the Vegas Golden Knights will need to tighten things up and protect their goalie a lot more in Game 3 if they want to go up 2-1 in this series.
Because even going down a game to a young team brimming with confidence could be playing with fire.